Connect with us

Technologies

My Favorite iPhone 17 Features That You’re Not Using

Commentary: Invisible buttons, AirPods that go silent when you fall asleep and some unconventional ways to use Apple’s iPhone Crossbody Strap.

The iPhone 17, iOS 26, and even the new AirPods Pro 3, are packed with valuable features and tools, but it can be hard to know which ones are worth your time and where to find them.

I review phones for a living and have been using the iPhone 17 Pro for over two months. As I’ve tested the new Apple phone and accessories, I’ve amassed my share of hidden tips and tricks to quell my friends, family members (and strangers) who ask me, “What’s a good iPhone feature that I should try?” Or “how do you do that thing with your AirPods that I saw on TikTok?”

These tips may not be new to everyone or exclusive to the iPhone 17 line (most require iOS 26), but they’re the less obvious ones that I use the most.

1. Photos app Wallpaper Suggestions

Over the years, Apple has given the lock screen and home screen a major visual overhaul. There are endless options to customize the look of your apps, the lock screen clock, and add trippy spatial effects to bring your wallpaper to life.

However, one of my favorite recent discoveries is Wallpaper Suggestions in the Photos app, which selects wallpaper-worthy photos from your library and crops them to fit your screen. There is even a 3D animation effect that can be added to really give your wallpaper some pizzazz. Above is a photo of my phone with a wallpaper of one of my cats (from the Suggestions), for example. It delights me to no end that it looks like her head is popping up from the corner of the screen as if to say, “Are you unlocking your phone?!”

If you don’t see Wallpaper Suggestion in the Photos app, go to Settings, then to Photos, and check that Show Featured Content is enabled. Subsequently, if you don’t want to see Wallpaper Suggestions, you can turn them off here. But why would you?

2. Use raw photos to make the moon pop

This tip is for you, Pro iPhone owners and is an easy way to ensure you get a great photo of a high-contrast scene. Think of a bright subject in a dark environment, such as this one of the Mineral Point Opera House marquee lit up at night, or a dark subject in a bright environment, like the black cat wallpaper shot from my previous tip.

Last week, there was a full moon over San Francisco, and I loved the way Karl the Fog –- yep, San Francisco’s marine layer has a name — rolled through the moonlight. However, when I tried to take a photo of it, my phone exposed the image for the bright moon, making everything else look dark. And when I tried to expose the image to brighten the buildings in the background, the moon just blew out entirely to white.

Instead, I turned on the raw photo setting in the Camera app and got a great shot of the moon. Then, I was able to edit it after the fact within the default Photos app to enhance the shadow details in the dark background and highlights in the moon. The result: Both the moon and the buildings looked exactly the way I wanted them. You could also use a third-party app to edit raw images.

Raw files contain more image data than a JPEG or HEIC, allowing you to make more extensive edits after you take an image. I don’t take raw photos all the time because the file sizes are big: the raw photo of the moon is 13.6MB compared with a JPEG I took that was 1.5MB.

To try this out, you first need to turn on the raw files master switch. Go to Settings, then the Camera menu. Select Formats and turn on ProRAW & Resolution Control. I use JPEG Lossless for the ProRAW format.

Once enabled, open the Camera app. If you’re running iOS 26, you should see a button that says JPEG, HEIC or raw on the top left side. Tap on it to see controls for Format and Resolution. Raw images can be captured at 48MP on the iPhone 17 Pro.

3. The AirPods Pro 3 case is the button

Apple recently launched the AirPods Pro 3. They come with several nifty features, including the ability to check your heart rate and translate conversations in real-time. But when I first went to pair them with my phone, I was stumped:  Where is the pairing button?

Just me? Probably not.

To pair the AirPods Pro 3, you just keep them in the case and open the lid. They should automatically pair with whatever Apple device you have on hand. But if you’re trying to pair them to an Apple device that doesn’t have the same iCloud account or a non-Apple device, you’ll need to open the lid and double-tap the case to enter pairing mode.

And that’s not the only AirPods tip I have for you (pun unintended).

4. The AirPods automatically turn off music when you doze off

If you’re someone who listens to music, a podcast, or white noise to help you fall asleep, you can set up your AirPods to automatically pause whatever you’re listening to as soon as you fall asleep. To turn this on, have your AirPods in their case, bring the case next to your iPhone and open the lid. Now go to Settings and tap on the name of your AirPods. Next, scroll down to Pause Media When Falling Asleep and turn that setting on. Now sit back, put your AirPods in and enjoy that 80-minute podcast about Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol while you’re lulled into a nice slumber.

This feature is part of iOS 26 and works with:

  • AirPods Pro 3
  • AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C
  • AirPods Pro 2 with Lightning
  • AirPods 4 with ANC
  • AirPods Max with USB-C

Also, if you haven’t explored your AirPods settings menu before, you can access many nifty features like Head Gestures, Live Translation and Camera Remote.

5. The iPhone’s invisible button

Back Tap isn’t a new feature, but it’s one that a lot of people don’t know about. Your iPhone has an “invisible” button that you activate by tapping on the back of the phone. It’s customizable and can do things, like open apps, turn the flashlight on, or, as I use it, show/hide the Control Center.

To set it up, open the Settings, go to Accessibility, select Touch and then scroll down and tap Back Tap. You can set up multiple actions, one triggered by a double-tap and another by a triple-tap (I wish I could do this with the iPhone’s Action button). As you can see from the actions menu, Back Tap can perform dozens of different actions and shortcuts.

When I want to open the Control Center — especially if I’m holding the phone with one hand — I can double-tap the back of the phone, and it appears. If I double-tap again, it goes away. Additionally, when you use Back Tap, a small Dynamic Island banner appears to explain what’s happening. You can turn this off in the Back Tap settings menu if you don’t want to see it.

6. Use the iPhone Crossbody Strap for cameras and passes

We’ve seen phone straps from other phone makers, such as Motorola for its Razr and there are numerous third-party options available. However, this year Apple launched its own crossbody strap for the iPhone. The strap costs $60, which seems steep for a thin piece of fabric, but it actually has more “tech” to it than meets the eye. Apple’s Crossbody Strap is lined with magnets to keep the two “pieces” of the strap (where it folds over itself) from separating or accidentally adjusting the length as you wear it.

It also has use cases beyond just being attached to a phone. On TikTok, numerous videos like this show people using the cross-body strap as a camera strap. But why stop there? Use it to hold passes or IDs for amusement parks or conventions. 

The strap is long, which is nice if you’re a larger person like me and still has enough length to go across your body and keep your phone or camera at your hip. Apple created another accessory that is having its moment right now: the iPhone Pocket. Like the crossbody strap, you can wear it across your torso, but I’m not sure it would hold anything but an iPhone that well.

Technologies

Passengers and crew foil co-pilot’s apparent attempt to crash FlyDubai flight to Israel

One of the pilots on a FlyDubai flight headed for Israel stabbed the second pilot, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On-duty flight crew and passengers managed to foil a pilot’s apparent attempt to crash a FlyDubai flight, after reports emerged of a fight in the cockpit.

The incident on flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv happened when a co-pilot stabbed a pilot, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who praised the victim’s quick thinking.

“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X.

FZ1073 was diverted to the Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia, the airline said, after being successfully secured and diverted by flight crew.

FlyDubai in a statement said that an “altercation” occurred on the flight deck of the plane, but did not mention a stabbing.

However, the airline added that the underlying reasons and motives for the clash is currently unknown, urging all parties to refrain from speculation.

The injured pilot was identified by Netanyahu as Indian national Smit Machchhar. No details have been released on the identity of the attacker, except that he was being interrogated by Saudi authorities.

The Indian embassy in Riyadh said on X that Machchhar is in a hospital in Tabuk, and is reported to be in stable condition.

The Israeli Prime Minister also identified the passenger who broke into the cockpit as Yaniv Hayun, calling him a “hero” and adding he deserved “a global medal of honor.”

Flight data from tracking site FlightRadar24 showed that the plane had experienced extreme altitude fluctuations before broadcasting a “general emergency” squawk code.

FZ1073 had dropped from over 14,000 feet in just 29 seconds, and FlightRadar24 also added that vertical speeds ranging from approximately -30,000 to +10,000 feet per minute were observed from the transponder data.

For context, vertical speeds during normal operations rarely exceed plus or minus 4,000 feet per minute, it added.

Continue Reading

Technologies

South Korean President Lee resists Alaska LNG project after Trump highlights Seoul’s involvement

South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung has conditioned his country’s participation in the Alaska LNG project on financial viability and legal compliance, pushing back against President Trump’s push for the $50‑billion venture while other $200‑billion U.S. investments move forward.

South Korea’s $200 billion investment in the United States, which President Donald Trump said would transform America “for generations,” is not yet finalized in full.

The South Korean investment blueprint includes nuclear power plants, a natural‑gas power facility in Texas, and potentially the long‑planned Alaska liquefied natural gas project.

Trump posted on Truth Social late Wednesday that the two nations had agreed to move forward on the Alaska LNG venture, estimating its value at $50 billion. This prompted a response from South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung, who stressed that participation in some projects remains tied to commercial considerations.

In an X post Thursday local time, Lee said that involvement in the Alaska LNG project hinges on its financial viability and legal compliance. He added that investments in nuclear power plants would also require a plant‑by‑plant assessment of commercial feasibility.

The US‑South Korea joint statement Wednesday also noted that work on the project is contingent on “commercial reasonableness,” without detailing allocations toward the venture.

The Alaska LNG project aims to move natural gas roughly 1,300 km (800 miles) from fields on Alaska’s North Slope to the state’s southern region, where it would be liquefied for export to markets including Asia, according to Yonhap. The initiative has long faced scrutiny over its economics, given the substantial upfront capital required.

Industry Minister Kim Jung‑kwan labeled it “high‑risk” last year and said participation would be challenging unless the project could generate sufficient cash flow.

Overall, the investment package allocates $22.3 billion for a 6,472‑megawatt natural‑gas power plant in Encinal, Texas, which will supply electricity to nearby data centers. The venture will be led by developer Related Cos. and U.S. power provider NextEra Energy.

Trump said the investments would turn South Korea’s commitments into “huge construction projects” and create “tens of thousands of American jobs.”

“These are massive energy projects, adding power capacity in the United States,” Trump remarked. “This is new construction, new manufacturing, and great jobs for American workers.”

The two countries said they would seek to broaden Korean firms’ involvement in the Texas project across equipment supply, engineering, construction, and long‑term operations and maintenance. The U.S. also plans to give Korean companies opportunities to supply equipment, including turbines, for similar projects domestically.

Another $120 billion has been earmarked for plans to build eight large‑scale nuclear reactors in the United States. Of that sum, $100 billion is designated for construction costs and $20 billion for contingency reserves.

The nuclear accord was signed by both governments as well as Westinghouse Electric, Korea Electric Power Corp., and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. The plan also calls for Korean firms to pursue a potential significant minority stake in Westinghouse, with terms subject to commercial negotiations.

Continue Reading

Technologies

Washington’s big crypto bill is stuck. The SEC is pushing ahead anyway

The SEC has proposed new rules that would make it easier for investment advisers and regulated funds to hold cryptocurrencies on behalf of clients.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed new rules that would make it easier for investment advisers and regulated funds to hold cryptocurrencies on behalf of clients, as U.S. regulators push ahead with writing crypto rules after a sweeping legislation stalled in Congress.

The proposal, announced Thursday stateside, would establish a tailored framework governing how registered investment advisers, investment companies and business development companies hold custody of crypto assets.

The changes are aimed at modernizing decades-old custody requirements and removing regulatory barriers that the SEC says have limited advisers’ ability to offer crypto-related investments.

Under the proposed rules, crypto assets could be held in self-custody under “certain circumstances,” while state trust companies could also serve as custodians for crypto assets belonging to clients and regulated funds.

The changes could also give regulated funds greater scope to offer investors crypto-related investment strategies, according to the SEC.

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said existing regulations had failed to keep pace with the rapid expansion of digital assets, which have grown into a multi-trillion-dollar market.

“Today’s proposal would provide a clear regulatory framework for the custody of crypto assets, giving investment advisers and funds a compliant pathway where none existed before,” Atkins said.

The proposal comes as U.S. regulators push ahead with building out a crypto rulebook under their existing authority after the Clarity Act, a sweeping crypto market structure bill, stalled in the Senate in September.

That marks another step in the SEC’s broader effort to rewrite the U.S. regulatory framework for digital assets under Atkins, and will be open for public comment for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register.

With broader crypto legislation stalling in Congress, regulators are exerting their existing powers to address individual parts of the market, said Jeff Ko, chief analyst at blockchain infrastructure service provider ViaBTC.

“What we’re increasingly seeing is the SEC using the authority it already has to solve individual bottlenecks one by one, issuance, tokenization, trading exemptions and now custody,” he told CNBC via email.

The regulatory push also comes as crypto markets show signs of renewed momentum following a volatile start to the year. Bitcoin has rebounded over 40% from its July low, as improving risk appetite have helped revive demand for digital assets.

The recovery follows a prolonged downturn from late 2025 into the first half of 2026.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © Verum World Media